‘We did it!’ – Nunthorpe glory at last for Wesley Ward

Wesley Ward was “screaming and yelling” from his Keeneland base after seeing Bacio streak up the York straight to finally provide him with a bucket list victory in the Coolmore City Of Troy Nunthorpe Stakes.

It is 17 years since the then little known American made a big splash by becoming the first US-based trainer to saddle a winner at Royal Ascot with Windsor Castle Stakes scorer Strike The Tiger. Wind the clock forward almost two decades, his tally at the summer showpiece meeting stands at 13.

But while Ward has firmly established himself as one of the world’s leading trainers of sprinters, he has found success on the Knavesmire frustratingly elusive, with both Acapulco (2015) and even more memorably Lady Aurelia (2017) coming mightily close to Nunthorpe success, while the brilliant Golden Pal fluffed his lines entirely five years ago.

Bacio is the latest rocket off the the trainer’s production line and having looked every bit a top-class performer when making a mockery of a handicap mark of 100 in the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the Royal meeting, he was the 3-1 favourite to be the winner Ward so craved.

Rain-softened ground is never seen as ideal for American raiders, who invariably like to hear their hooves rattle – but his supporters need not have worried as Bacio showed such speed from the stalls opening the home contingent must have wondered what had hit them.

Any notion his early exertions might take their toll inside the last of five furlongs proved wide of the mark as he just continued to pour it on, with Juan Hernandez not even having to go for everything to seal victory by a length and a quarter.

The always-popular Ward was not at York, but he was still struggling to contain his enthusiasm after watching on from Kentucky.

“We did it! I’m so excited I can’t tell you,” he told the Press Association.

“I was screaming and yelling and all my boys here in Keeneland are going crazy. That was unbelievable.

“I tended to train him a little light here since he got home (from Royal Ascot), I didn’t want overdo it and I think it really paid off because he had to travel over there and what have you.

“He’s such a highly quality, Group One animal – he’s really shown what he is and I’m so proud of that horse.

“You never know when you jump in the deep end of the pool, but we’ve found out he can swim with anybody now!”

Ward’s enthusiasm is infectious for all who encounter him, so it is a shame for the York faithful that they did not get to see him in the winner’s enclosure.

“To be quite honest, I’ve had a lot of luck with that (not being at the races) as well,” he continued.

“I didn’t go the year I had my first Breeders’ Cup winners (2014), when Frankie (Dettori) won for me (on Hootenanny in the Juvenile Turf Sprint) and Judy The Beauty won (Filly & Mare Sprint), so maybe it’s a little bit of luck.

“My assistant Blake Heap has been with me since I started training, the old boy who is with the horse. I’d just get in the way if I was there, these are the guys that do all the work and all I would do is put the saddle on at the end of the day, so I can’t thank those people enough.

“My name is on there and I’m going to get all the credit, but everybody that’s in this barn has worked so hard with such beautiful horses to make things like this happen and make me and other trainers look good – they are the unsung heroes, that’s for sure.”

Bacio will be running significantly closer to home next time, with the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland next on the agenda – but Ward has already circled another major event on the calendar for early next year.

“I’m really excited to get him back for the Breeders’ Cup on his home track and having discussed it with the owners and in particular MyRacehorse and my daughter-in-law Caitlin Dunne, who is married to my son Riley and put this whole ownership group together, I’d really like to go over to Australia for the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington in February – that’s going to be his goal,” he revealed.

“MyRacehorse want to keep him in training as a four-year-old, we’ve already discussed that.

“He’s a lightly-raced horse and I’m so lucky to have a horse like him.”